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Spain loves you, Diego

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Pilar Méndez Jiménez *

All of us were touched by luck when Diego Cortizas del Valle, co-founder of Chula with his spouse Laura Fontán Pardo, crossed our path in life. We remain astonished by the human warmth that his art and personality irradiated.

A relentless entrepreneur, his example united cultures, communities and people, sewing suits, áo dài or friendships with an unbreakable thread made of honest and sincere affection that gave meaning to the lives of those whose voices couldn´t be heard.

No realm of the arts was unattainable to Diego, no human being was left untouched by his kindness. Vietnamese, Spaniards, Latin Americans, Europeans, citizens from the world, we all met at one point some morning, afternoon or evening in Chula, that magic place he turned into the Embassy of Friendship in Hà Nội.

Diego receiving the Official Cross of the Order of Civil Merit on November 30, 2020 at the Spanish Residence in Hà Nội.— Courtesy Photo of the embassy

His love for Laura, Carmen, Pablo and Yago was wrapped with the passion the whole family felt for Vietnam, for its people and its culture. The affection that his family receives today is multiplied by all of us, around the world, who remember him and his legacy. In Spain, there is a saying that goes: we do not belong to the country where we are born, but to the country where we give birth to our children. Diego and Laura took this piece of popular wisdom to its utmost expression, while kindly designing for our Embassy a logo under the motto “España te quiero, Tôi yêu Tây Ban Nha”.

Logo designed by Diego for the Embassy of Spain. —  Courtesy Photo of the embassy

Time does not exist for geniuses who, like Diego, will accompany us forever through his artwork. In the case of Diego, his gentle wit will always whisper songs of eternal joy to our hearts. All of us in the big Chula family in Việt Nam have found in you, Diego, the closest example of humanity and art, of solidarity and determination. Always the right word pronounced from the purest of hearts. The wittiest of humans. The most human of geniuses. Spain loves you, Diego.

* Ambassador of Spain to Việt Nam

Source: https://vietnamnews.vn/life-style/1061986/spain-loves-you-diego.html

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Ho Chi Minh City installs solar-powered trash cans to boost waste classification

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The People’s Committees of District 5 and District 11 in Ho Chi Minh City have joined forces with Green Resources Technology Company to place 200 solar-powered rubbish bins at key spots to encourage residents and tourists to sort garbage.

District 11 will install 84 solar-powered trash cans at sidewalks, the yards of state agencies, and schools.

These green rubbish bins are set to gradually replace the current public trash cans.

In the first quarter of 2019, the administration of District 5 piloted the installation of 21 hi-tech trash cans at 10 schools.

The district decided to expand this pilot program this year due to the positive results of the installation.

These bins have two compartments for organic waste and other rubbish.

Twenty-six solar-powered trash cans were placed at some parks and the headquarters of state agencies in the district in the first quarter of 2023.

In early June, the district will install 74 other hi-tech rubbish bins with three compartments for recyclable waste, food waste, and other garbage at administrative agencies, hospitals, schools, and bus stops and on sidewalks.

These trash bins consist of solar panels to activate advertisement signs and instructions that make it easier for people to throw trash into the right compartment.

Information about environmental protection also appears on the hi-tech bins.

The company will install these solar-powered trash cans free of charge in 10 years.

Many parts of Ho Chi Minh City such as Ben Nghe Ward and Pham Ngu Lao Ward in District 1 and Tan Thoi Hiep Ward in District 12 are facing difficulty sorting waste.

These districts are classifying waste into two kinds, including organic waste and others, while the government’s Decree 54 stipulates waste must be sorted into three types, including recyclable garbage, food leftovers, and other solid trash.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230531/ho-chi-minh-city-installs-solarpowered-trash-cans-to-boost-waste-classification/73482.html

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Int’l Yoga Day to take place in 22 localities across Vietnam in late June

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The Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City will team up with the Vietnam Yoga Federation to roll out the 2023 International Yoga Day in 22 provinces and cities in Vietnam’s southern region at the end of June.

This edition will be the biggest ever since the yoga fest was first launched in the Southeast Asian nation in 2015, Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City Madan Mohan Sethi told a press briefing on Tuesday.

The yoga event is part of a wide range of cultural exchange, tourism, trade, and investment promotion events to mark 50 years of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and India, said the consul general.

Speaking at the press conference, Sethi affirmed that Vietnam plays an important role in India’s Act East Policy, an effort by the Indian government to cultivate extensive economic and strategic relations with Southeast Asia.

India strongly believes in Vietnam’s support, he added.

“Both India and Vietnam see mutual respect and trust as the pivot of long-lasting relations between the two nations. We can make this partnership even stronger amid ongoing global uncertainties,” Sethi underlined.

Consul General of India to Ho Chi Minh City Madan Mohan Sethi and guests pose for a photo at the press briefing on May 30, 2023. Photo: The Consulate General of India

Consul General of India in Ho Chi Minh City Madan Mohan Sethi (R, 5th) and guests pose for a photo at a press briefing on May 30, 2023. Photo: Consulate General of India

Culture exchange acts as a boost for Vietnam – India ties

The exchange of culture traits, especially related to Buddhism and yoga, plays a significant role in the two nations’ relations, Sethi said.

Over the past few months, the Consulate General of India has initiated a host of cultural exchange events in 11 cities and provinces in southern Vietnam.

Apart from the upcoming yoga festival, a delegation of cultural experts from Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta region will travel to India to deepen cultural cooperation in July.

Besides, the consulate general is planning to join hands with the Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts and the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association to promote traditional cultural exchange.

Stronger partnership in various fields 

The Indian diplomat expressed his high expectations for tourism growth between the two countries.

With the popularity of e-visas, Sethi predicted that 500,000 Indian tourists would travel to Vietnam in 2023, a three-fold surge year on year.

The representative of India also eyes deeper cooperation in education and manpower training for the technology-information, international trade, and pharmacy sectors, which are India’s strengths. 

The two nations will accelerate student exchanges to widen their skills and knowledge, Sethi said. 

He also called on technology students and startups in Vietnam to connect with India partners in this field to enhance tech cooperation between the two countries.

The Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City will host a conference to beef up collaboration with the Mekong Delta region on June 28, with the participation of nearly 100 Indian enterprises.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230531/intl-yoga-day-to-take-place-in-22-localities-across-vietnam-in-late-june/73487.html

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Trans-Vietnam railway world’s most incredible rail trip: Lonely Planet

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Lonely Planet, the world-renowned travel guide, recently named Vietnam’s North-South Railway, also known as the Reunification Express line, as the most incredible train journey in the world.

The railway was described as one of Southeast Asia’s best-loved railways and the world’s most epic overnight train journey.

It stretches for 1,730 kilometers between the country’s two biggest cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City over the course of two days.

Some railways rattle through historic cities; others swoosh beside spectacular coastlines. A few have an epic history, and one or two are remarkable for the colorful characters onboard. The Reunification Express line fulfills all these criteria, said Lonely Planet.

“There is no more atmospheric way to haul into Vietnam’s twin metropolises. And there’s no better way of exploring all the glories in between,” the site added.

Besides Vietnam’s North-South Railway, Lonely Planet’s list of the most incredible train journeys includes the California Zephyr in the U.S., Lake Titicaca Railway in Peru, Beijing to Lhasa Express in China, Caledonian Sleeper in the UK, Bergensbanen in Norway, TranzAlpine in New Zealand, and Tazara Railway in Tanzania and Zambia. 

Vietnam’s North-South Railway was also listed in the 10 best train journeys in the world by Lonely Planet in 2018.

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Source: https://tuoitrenews.vn/news/ttnewsstyle/20230531/transvietnam-railway-worlds-most-incredible-rail-trip-lonely-planet/73483.html

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